"A Civil Action" (1995)
"A Civil Action" is a 1995 non-fiction book by Jonathan Harr that chronicles a prolonged environmental contamination lawsuit in Woburn, Massachusetts, a working-class suburb north of Boston. The book details the legal battle waged by attorney Jan Schlichtmann against two major corporations, W.R. Grace & Co. and Beatrice Foods Company, over groundwater contamination allegedly responsible for a cluster of childhood leukemia cases in the community. Published by Random House, the work became a bestseller and was later adapted into a 1998 film starring John Travolta. The narrative combines meticulous legal documentation with compelling human drama, examining themes of corporate accountability, environmental justice, and the American legal system's capacity to address harm caused by industrial pollution. Harr spent nearly a decade researching the case, conducting hundreds of interviews with plaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, and experts to produce what many consider a definitive account of environmental litigation in the late twentieth century.[1]
History
The Woburn groundwater contamination case originated in the 1970s when residents of the industrial town began noticing an unusually high incidence of childhood leukemia. Between 1969 and 1978, twelve children in Woburn developed leukemia, a rate far exceeding normal statistical expectations for a community of approximately 37,000 people. Parents and concerned citizens initially struggled to understand the cause of this medical cluster, but suspicions soon fell upon two industrial facilities and their potential discharge of toxic chemicals into the groundwater. The Wells G and H, which supplied drinking water to the northeastern section of town, became the focal point of investigation after state environmental officials detected the presence of trichloroethylene (TCE) and other volatile organic compounds in the water supply. These chemicals, commonly used in industrial manufacturing and degreasing operations, are known carcinogens linked to various cancers and other serious health effects.
The legal action began when families affected by the contamination hired the Boston personal-injury law firm Conway, Dalton, Mills & Harr to pursue a civil lawsuit. Attorney Jan Schlichtmann took the lead on the case, assembling a team to investigate the corporate defendants' role in the contamination. The lawsuit named W.R. Grace & Co., which operated a chemical manufacturing facility in Woburn, and Beatrice Foods Company, which owned a plant on the same industrial site, as the primary defendants responsible for dumping and improperly disposing of chemical waste. The litigation became extraordinarily complex, stretching across eight years and involving thousands of pages of documents, expert testimony, and depositions. Harr's book captures the procedural intricacies, the mounting financial pressures on the plaintiffs' legal team, and the sophisticated defense strategies employed by corporate attorneys with virtually unlimited resources. The case ultimately resulted in a settlement in 1986, though not for the full amount requested and with terms that limited the defendants' admission of liability.[2]
Culture
"A Civil Action" achieved significant cultural prominence in American legal and environmental circles, influencing public discourse around corporate accountability and environmental justice. The book's publication in 1995 coincided with growing national awareness of environmental contamination issues and corporate responsibility, making it immediately relevant to contemporary concerns. Its success demonstrated public appetite for detailed narratives about complex legal proceedings and corporate malfeasance, paving the way for similar works of legal journalism. The 1998 film adaptation, directed by Steven Zaillian and starring John Travolta as Jan Schlichtmann, further extended the story's cultural reach, bringing the Woburn case to wider audiences beyond those who read the book. While the film received mixed critical reviews, it solidified the case's status as a significant moment in American environmental law and popular understanding of how corporations and legal systems interact around issues of public health.
In Woburn itself and throughout Massachusetts environmental advocacy circles, "A Civil Action" became an important text for understanding the town's history and the broader struggle for environmental protection. The book has been used in law schools and business schools as a teaching tool for examining litigation strategy, expert testimony, and the economics of environmental lawsuits. Environmental organizations and public health advocates have cited the case documented in Harr's book as a landmark example of how residents can challenge industrial pollution, though they also point to its limitations in achieving full justice or preventing similar contamination elsewhere. The narrative's portrayal of Jan Schlichtmann's personal struggle—including financial ruin and health problems resulting from stress—added a human dimension to discussions of how environmental litigation affects those pursuing it, raising questions about the emotional and economic costs of fighting corporate defendants with vast legal resources.[3]
Economy
The economic dimensions of the Woburn case, extensively documented in Harr's book, illustrate fundamental aspects of environmental litigation and corporate liability. The legal battle imposed significant financial strain on both sides, but particularly on the plaintiffs' legal team. Schlichtmann's small firm invested substantial resources into the case for years without guarantee of recovery, accumulating costs for expert witnesses, laboratory analyses, document review, and court proceedings. The defendants, by contrast, had access to virtually unlimited legal resources, employing large corporate law firms with specialized environmental litigation practices and armies of attorneys. This asymmetry in resources became a central theme in Harr's narrative, raising questions about access to justice and whether the American legal system adequately allows ordinary citizens to challenge powerful corporations.
The ultimate settlement reached in the case—approximately $8 million paid to the plaintiffs' families—represented a compromise rather than a complete victory, and the sum was distributed among numerous parties including the law firm, medical expenses, and actual plaintiff compensation. This outcome underscored the economic realities of environmental litigation, where prolonged legal processes, settlement negotiations, and the need to satisfy creditors often result in outcomes that fall short of initial demands or what plaintiffs believe they deserve. Harr's documentation of the economic pressures revealed how corporate defendants can leverage their financial superiority to extend litigation indefinitely, increasing costs to plaintiffs and their attorneys until settlement becomes economically preferable to continued fighting. The book thus provides critical examination of how the American legal and economic systems function to either promote or inhibit environmental justice, with implications for understanding corporate behavior and regulatory frameworks designed to protect public health.[4]
Notable People
Jan Schlichtmann, the central figure of "A Civil Action," emerged as a prominent attorney and environmental justice advocate through his role in the Woburn case. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Schlichtmann became known for his tenacious pursuit of environmental liability cases despite the personal and financial costs of doing so. The book's detailed portrayal of his struggles—including his declining health, financial difficulties, and emotional toll—transformed him into a complex figure representing both the possibilities and limitations of individual resistance to corporate power. Beyond the Woburn case, Schlichtmann continued practicing environmental law, becoming recognized as an expert in toxic tort litigation and environmental contamination cases throughout Massachusetts and New England.
Jonathan Harr, the author of "A Civil Action," was a journalist and writer whose meticulous research and narrative skill brought the case to widespread public attention. His background in legal journalism and his commitment to understanding complex technical and procedural details enabled him to translate the intricacies of environmental litigation into accessible prose for general readers. Harr's work on the Woburn case consumed nearly a decade of his life, requiring extensive interviews with all parties involved and thorough examination of thousands of legal documents. His success with "A Civil Action" established him as an important voice in legal journalism and narrative non-fiction, influencing subsequent writers who attempted similar projects examining American law and corporate behavior. The book's impact on Harr's career was substantial, and he has remained engaged in writing about law, science, and their intersections with public interest and corporate power.